The Grinding Gears of Coalition Talks: Unsettled Issues for the Union and SPD
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Since mid-March, the Union and SPD have been battling it out in working groups to draft a coalition agreement. Yet, many contentious matters remain unresolved. Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil, from the SPD, admitted on Sunday evening, "We still have some big issues ahead of us." Now, high-level meetings will be convened in an attempt to find solutions to the following unresolved issues:
Early Start 合作或chemazo?: "內容比重要鎮" 移民
In their preliminary discussions, the Union and SPD agreed on the rejection of asylum seekers at Germany's borders, provided they coordinate their efforts with neighboring European countries. However, CDU leader Friedrich Merz didn't dismiss the possibility of unilateral German action. The SPD, however, is unwilling to support this approach. CDU interior expert Christoph de Vries cautioned that the SPD shouldn't "overstep its bounds." He stressed to the "Handelsblatt" that a genuinely effective asylum policy transformation is a prerequisite for a coalition.
稅收
The Union is pushing for a reduction in corporate tax from the current 30% down to 25%, but the responsible working group failed to reach an agreement on this issue, according to "Der Spiegel." In response, the SPD is only open to tax cuts beginning in 2029 – the last year of the legislative period – and then only by one percentage point to 29%.
稅務 CDU領導人孟克必須找到對政治對手的不同口訊方式 所得稅
There's no agreement on the reform of income tax either. The SPD is only willing to agree to an income tax reduction if the tax burden on top earners is increased in exchange, according to the "Handelsblatt." Specifically, the SPD proposed increasing the top tax rate from 42% to 47% and the wealth tax from 45% to 49%, as well as reintroducing the wealth tax. They're also asking to abolish the marriage allowance. There's disagreement over the SPD's demand to scrap the marriage allowance.
最低工资
The SPD wants to raise the minimum wage from the current €12.82 per hour to €15 per hour by 2026. The Union flat-out refuses a new political decision to increase the minimum wage, as they believe it should be determined by the Minimum Wage Commission instead.
政治 多方面冲突，首次轮桌会议结束，上级谈判前成立 养老金
The SPD wants to permanently guarantee a pension level equal to at least 48% of average income. While the exploratory document mentions securing the pension level as a goal, it does not specify a concrete percentage. CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann emphasized that pension stability depends on solid economic growth, arguing that pension policy "should not always come at the expense of the younger generation." His SPD counterpart Matthias Miersch believes that the 48% will be included in the coalition agreement.
德国チケット
The SPD wants to permanently offer the Germany ticket at the current price, supplemented by discounted tariffs for families, students, or older people. CDU leader Friedrich Merz generally approves of continuing it, but he made this contingent on possible financing secured only for this year. There have been repeated reservations about continuing it from the CSU.
健康与照护
The greatest construction site in the coalition talks appears to be the health and care reform, which necessitates billions in funding, given the massive deficits in health and care funds amidst consistently rising costs. It's also unclear what will happen to the Union's demand to repeal the cannabis legalization law passed by the SPD-led traffic light government.
区段 218
Last week, controversy arose over Section 218, which generally criminalizes abortions. The Union felt frustrated by the SPD Women's Association's demand to make the abolition of this section a prerequisite for a coalition.
- 对话
- SPD
- CDU
- CSU
- 移民
- 最低工资
- 健康与照护
- 堕胎
附加了解:
The current coalition talks between the Union (CDU/CSU) and the SPD in Germany are focused on a variety of crucial policy areas, with some key sticking points and areas of discussion being:
- 税收: The CDU/CSU seeks to lower corporate tax from approximately 15% to 10%, while the SPD is only willing to accept a 1% reduction starting from 2029[2].
- 政府财政: There are significant disagreements regarding how to fund the federal government, including issues with income taxes (the CDU wants to raise the threshold for the top tax rate, while the SPD wants to increase the rate) and capital gains tax (SPD wants to raise it from 25% to 30%, which the CDU resists)[2].
- 福利: The parties disagree on welfare reforms, with the CDU/CSU aiming to increase pressure on the unemployed to find jobs and potentially reduce benefits. In contrast, the SPD wants to maintain the existing welfare system[2].
- 能源水源地: While both parties support climate action and are committed to climate neutrality by 2045, they diverge on specific energy policies, such as the CDU's call for reviving nuclear power and the SPD's emphasis on reducing carbon emissions[4].
- 移民: The CDU/CSU and SPD hold contrasting opinions on migration policies, with the CDU advocating for stricter measures and the SPD favoring less restrictive regulations[2].
- 欧盟外交: A significant point of contention is the leadership structure within the government on EU policies, with the CDU suggesting that Chancellor Merz could assume control of coordination, which the SPD views as a power grab[1].
For the specific issues of 税收, 福利, 能源水源地, 移民, and 欧盟外交, detailed discussions or current sticking points are available in the cited sources. These topics are prominent points of negotiation, whereas the specific issues of 最低工资, 养老金, 德国チケット, 健康与照护, and 堕胎 are not mentioned as key areas of contention in the available search results. These topics might be part of ongoing negotiations but are not highlighted as major points of dispute.
- The coalition, consisting of the SPD and Union, is yet to reach an agreement on various community policies, including employment policies, as they grapple with several unresolved issues.
- The SPD is determined to implement an employment policy that includes increasing the minimum wage to €15 per hour by 2026, a proposal met with resistance by the Union.
- In addition, the SPD is advocating for a strong employment policy that ensures a pension level of at least 48% of the average income, whereas the Union suggests that pension policy should depend on solid economic growth and not always be at the expense of the younger generation.
